I Kissed a Boy’s Adam praised after sharing story of HIV diagnosis: ‘It nearly killed me off’
Adam shared his HIV diagnosis on I Kissed a Boy (BBC)
Adam shared his HIV diagnosis on I Kissed a Boy (BBC)
I Kissed a Boy star Adam has been praised after sharing the story of his HIV diagnosis on the latest episode of the Dannii Mingoue-hosted gay dating show.
The BBC Three series is back for its ‘steamy‘ second season, featuring an all new cast of boys that snog before anything else – including the show’s first trans contestant.
During the third episode of I Kissed a Boy, which aired last night (18 May), Adam, a marketing and brand manager from Reading, shared the story of his HIV diagnosis four years ago, while sitting with his fellow cast members.
“I’ve got anxiety going through my body right now,” Adam said. “Four years ago, I was diagnosed with HIV. When I was diagnosed, it nearly killed me off. My whole body shut down until it regenerated when I was on the pills.”
Speaking to the confessional camera, Adam said, “I thought I was going to die. I was so uneducated around what [an HIV diagnosis] actually means.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding around HIV. But taking one pill a day means you can’t pass HIV on, and Undetectable equals Untransmittable. I’m in a good place now.”
Continuing, Adam added, “It has made me incredibly empathetic to people, it’s made me really aware of what people feel.
“Someone said to me the other day, I went for a sexual health test, and they said, ‘Are you clean?’ But you shouldn’t say that. Because does that make me dirty? Because I have HIV, and I’m undetectable?’
“I think it’s important to show that people can be succesful, live healthy lives and have relationships as much as people without HIV.”
The term ‘Undetectable equals Untransmittable’ refers to HIV-positive individuals being unable to pass HIV on to new partners even when having unprotected sex, due to medication reducing their viral load count (level of HIV in the blood) to an ‘undetectable’ level.
Adam has been praised by viewers following his discussion, including Terrence Higgins Trust Chief Executive Richard Angell.
In a statement, Angell praised the conversation as something that “will have impact far beyond the masseria”.
“Adam sharing his story as someone living with HIV is an incredibly special moment, from a very special man. It will have an impact far beyond the masseria. Adam talking about HIV in the first person is going to help people understand that people living with HIV can date and form relationships like anyone else.
“As Adam shared, people living with HIV taking their medication can’t pass it on when having sex, even without a condom. 72% of adults in the UK are still unaware of that fact and it’s moments like this that help us change that.
“It is heartening to see that for the boys on the show, the fact that Adam is living with HIV is the least interesting thing about him. We’re so proud of him and can’t wait to see what happens next.”
Spoiler alert for #IKissedABoy
— Terrence Higgins Trust (@THTorguk) May 18, 2025
Our Chief Executive @RichardAngell on Adam sharing that he's living with HIV in episode three of I Kissed a Boy. pic.twitter.com/Q4Cy4GTozk
Angell also shared a video on X, praising Adam as “beautiful and brave” in the I Kissed a Boy episode.
Adam also shared a letter to his younger self concerning his HIV diagnosis via the I Kissed A Boy star’s Instagram.
“You will fall in love with who you are,” he wrote. “You will become strong, fierce and one of a kind.”
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is also available on the NHS, a daily or event-based medication that is 99% effective (when taken correctly) in preventing the user from contracting HIV, even when having unprotected sex with an HIV-positive individual.
To learn more about HIV and AIDS research, testing and treatment, visit amFAR or the Terrence Higgins Trust.
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